randomscribbles

i think the event was a success, the dance performances were really good, with the saman dance from aceh as a favorite. i can't imagine how many hours they must've spent practicing to get such an amazing coordination! i also love the dangdutan! everybody's such a natural! ha ha ha... they even had a real becak that was brought in to complete the atmosphere of a night market in jakarta. i have no idea where they got the becak from... but they borrowed most of the stuff from the indonesian consulates in d.c. and new york, so probably the becak came from there, too... the event closed with ethnic modern live music by the indo students from berklee, followed by the staple song "kebyar2". the band was SO awesome! one of the keyboard players was nial djuliarso, a pupil of bubi chen, a well-known indonesian jazz musician. the bass and saxophone players were not indonesians, but it was great that they're willing to participate. the two drummers were amazing, and my favorite was the flute, especially the part when he played a sundanese song... hmmm... made me homesick...

everytime i go to an indonesian night like this, i always came out feeling proud to be an indonesian, to be part of a country of such rich cultures. i believe i wasn't the only one � it was confirmed later by wendy, who basically voiced what i was feeling at the moment. ;)

bonus: kebyar2 lyrics below.